A Line Allows Progress, A Circle Does Not
by cellardoor
Summary: She needs a reason not to and she's hoping he is it. Tommy and Jude and a 3:00AM meeting in a desolate park. OneShot.


**AN: I am on a roll with these one-shots. Someone needs to stop me. Anyway, just some more Tommy and Jude goodness, because one can never have too much Tommy and Jude.**

**Enjoy.**

They had arranged to meet in the park. She tightened her grasp on her jacket as she pulled it close to her miniature frame to help keep her warm. The park was on the outskirts of town, hidden behind dilapidated warehouses and factories, long ago forgotten. It looked like something from judgment day, empty swings screeching in the breeze, not a body or soul in sight.

Her feet moved hurriedly across the sodden emerald grass. Her shoes sank with each new stride, mud flinging in all directions, she cursed at herself for not owning a flashlight as she did her best to evade puddles and rocks, among other things.

She slowed down when she noticed him stationed underneath a tree, the glow from his cell phone illuminating his face.

He looked up at her, their eyes locked as she gradually made her way towards him.

"Hi" she situated herself in front of him.

"Hey," he countered before turning his attention back to his phone, flipping it closed and replacing it in his pocket. He bounced a little, exhaling a weighty sigh and returning his hands into his pockets, "Its freezing out here."

She shrugged in concurrence, "How are you?" she inquired her voice a little unstable.

"Good… producing, writing, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Good," she repeated inaudibly under her breath, her voice growing louder, "I've heard some of the new stuff… it's really going somewhe-"

She is interrupted by the sound of his voice drowning out hers, "You really asked me here to talk about work?"

She glanced around, it was sinister and cold and she could see her breath in puffs of air in front of her. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket, looking to her left and realizing they were all alone.

An awkward silence filled the air between them, she looked down at her muddied feet and then back up at him.

"The diner was just too well lit for you?"

They meet at the diner once every few months to catch up with each other. They may have moved on from one another, but it was always comforting knowing that they would be there for one another. Sometimes he would call, sometimes she would, but there was always the understanding of knowing where to meet, but tonight is different, he can tell by the way she isn't acting like herself.

"Huh?" her head quickly turned to look at him again.

"Did you seriously pull all these private optics so we could stand in the middle of a deserted park at three in the morning and have this conversation?"

"I'm getting married Tommy," she cries out before she even knows what she is saying.

"I know."

"You know? How do you—"

"I can see the ring."

She brings her right hand on top of her left and traces the small diamond ring that rests tenderly on her finger, it's a new feeling to her, its molded to her skin, it's a part of her now, she didn't know how else to tell him.

He nods his head, as he watches her fool around with the ring. There is a burning in his chest that is only recognizable when she is around, a yearning that things should have been done differently, that she should be meeting someone else here in the park to break the news of an engagement to.

"What is it?" she watches the expression on his face transform as he glances down at her hands.

"Huh?" he shoots a look at her.

"What's wrong?" she pesters, she knows him better than anyone.

"Nothing," he squints his eyes in distaste as he looks away from her.

"It's because its not you isn't it?"

He stares her down, a part of him knows that that is the truth, but he would never bring himself to tell her that, "Oh please Jude," is the only comeback he can congregate as he turns and walks away.

"Tommy!" she calls out to him. His feet come to an immediate standstill, but he refuses to turn around and look at her.

"What?" he shouts over his shoulder.

"Give me a reason not to," she pleads. Her voice is airy and innocent—he can hear the tears begin to form in the back of her eyes as she takes a profound breath.

"Not to what?" he presses as he turns around to face her. He wants to hear her say it. She stands there like a doll. Limp and pale, so small and petite, just as beautiful as he always remembered her. He is upset with her for putting him in this position—she wants something that he can not give her.

"You know exactly what," the words roll off her tongue, the familiarity of them burn in his ears, it was so long ago.

He paces forward, he watches her face as it grows closer and closer before he brings his lips crashing down upon hers. He wraps his left arm around the small of her back as he uses his right to support her head. He explores her mouth with his tongue—he thinks she tastes like strawberries… she thinks he tastes like forever.

He breaks apart from her, "You want something I can't give you Jude, you want the life you've always dreamed and I am not that guy. I'm sorry," he pauses as he watches her, she begins to shake her head, refusing to hear what he is trying to tell her, "All I have ever done is hurt you, I break your heart, just for you to hand it back so I can break it again. Does it ring a bell or did you forget about all that?"

"This time its different Tommy, this time I can't make a mistake, we're—"

He cut her off again, "We're nothing Jude. There is no us."

"But Tommy," she pauses, she is trying to remain composed for the sake of her sanity, she brings her fingers up to her lips, rubbing them as they tingle from his touch, "What about the kiss?" she whispers through pursed lips.

"That was closure," he confirms, feeling the heat radiating from her body he takes a step back from her, never once taking his eyes off hers, "Your closure, that is why you brought me here."

This time he walks away, disappearing into the fog that she was sure was not there when they first got here. She watches the spot where he just stood as it remains vacant. She realizes he isn't coming back as she wraps her coat once again around her petite frame and for once understanding that he did the right thing.


End file.
